The present invention is generally directed to an indicator post, and, more particularly, to a cross-wall indicator post which may be employed for actuating and indicating the status of a water supply control valve.
Indicator posts are employed with water supply systems, such as, for example, those employed in commercial establishments, e.g., a commercial building, and also in fire sprinkler water supply systems to actuate control valves supplying water to such systems. They also provide a visual display of the status of the control valve as open or closed. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requires that certain water supply control valves, such as, for example, the main water supply control valve of a fire sprinkler system, be openable and closeable from outside the establishment, e.g., by fire fighters, or at least from a different room within the establishment.
Conventional cross-wall indicator posts provide a mechanical connection with a water supply control valve located inside an establishment with a control hand wheel (or other actuating member) located at least in a different room, or outside the establishment. Conventional cross-wall indicator posts generally include a housing mounted to a wall on the outside of the establishment and a drive shaft extending through the housing and wall and into permanent, mechanical engagement with the water supply control valve. For example, conventional cross-wall indicators posts are generally bolted to, or otherwise fixedly engaged with, a rotatable flange and/or a lug on an actuator shaft of the control valve. One drawback of such indicator posts is that the water supply control valve can only be opened or closed from the hand wheel of the indicator post, remote from the control valve.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to manufacture a cross-wall indicator post that is releasably, mechanically, interferingly engageable with the control valve. Accordingly, the indicator post is selectively engageable with the control valve, whereby actuation of the valve is achieved remotely from the valve via the indicator post actuation member, and the indicator post is selectively disengageable from the control valve, whereby actuating of the control valve is achieved from the valve itself.